The Phoenix Fire Department is again reminding hikers to use caution during triple-digit temperatures. The department this week rescued an overheated hiker from a trail that was closed due to extreme heat.
The department reports its crews were dispatched to the Cholla Trail on Camelback Mountain around 11 a.m. Tuesday. The high temperature in Phoenix on Tuesday reached 114 degrees. The department reports the hiker was showing signs of heat exhaustion, including being in an altered mental state.
Crews brought him down the mountain on a “big wheel” stretcher and cooled him in an ice-filled immersion bag. The hiker was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
“I do think they underestimate, because that heat can sneak up on you, and sometimes you’re farther away than you think you are,” said Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Todd Keller.
The current extreme heat warning extends through Friday evening. When the National Weather Service issues those warnings, the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails on Camelback Mountain, the Piestewa Peak Summit trail, and three trails on South Mountain are closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Fire Department reports it rescues more than 200 hikers per year from Phoenix trails, but says trail closures during extreme heat warnings have reduced the number of heat-related rescues on trails since the program took effect in 2021.
Hikers can sign up for alerts about heat warnings and trail restrictions through the Phoenix Parks and recreation website.
“Please, please, if these trails are closed, do not hike around the signs, do not bypass them, they are there for a reason,” Keller said.
When trails are open, Keller said hikers should avoid going out in the hottest part of the day, bring plenty of water and a fully charged phone, and let someone else know where you’re going.
